Scaffold support and its use



T. J. OWEN SCAFFOLD SUPPORT AND ITS USE.

March. 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1956 FIG. 3

A 'INVENTOR. v THEODORE J. OWEN AITITIORNEY FIG. 2' E T. J. OWENSCAFFOLD SUPPORT AND ITS USE March 3, 1959 Filed April 26, 1956 '2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. J. OWEN "j THEODORE ATTORNEY United StatesPatent.

2,876,046 SCAFFOLD SUPPORT AND ITS USE Theodore J. Owen, Akron, OhioApplication April 26, 1956, Serial No. 580,755 3 Claims. (Cl. 304- Thisinvention relates to a support for a scaffold and, more particularly, ascaffold for a painter or paperhanger. The scaffold support is made ofmetal and is collapsible. It is to be used with a plank which supportsthe workman, and the invention includes such use. Ordinarily thescaffold support will be about 18' inches to two feet high, and may bemade with extensions which will raise it to any desiredheight.

The plank on which the workmen stand is ordinarily supported by aseparate scalfold support at each end. The top of the support is formedwith angle members in which the plank rests. Although angle irons willordinarily be used, any equivalent is satisfactory. The legs of thesupport are braced by braces pivotally connected so that the distancebetween the-angle members can be varied, and tightening means isprovided for'tightening the respective angle members against theopposite edges of a plank. The angle members are advantageously providedwith hook means of adjustable length for holding the plank in place. 1 1

The scaffold support may beused for other purposes, as, for example, tohold a dispenser for masking paper and masking tape, as will beexplained;

The scaffold and its support will be further described in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in Which p Fig. 1 is aperspective'viewof af'planksupported at each end by one of the scaffold supports;

Fig. 2is an end elevation; 1

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the scafiold support which is at the leftend of the plank;

Fig. 4 is a section in the line 44 of Fig. 3;

f Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the scaffold support-in collapsed position; .1v i 1 Fig. 7 is a modification showing the bottom of a leg of thescafiold support with an adjustable extension in it;

and

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the upper portion of the scaffold with amasking-paper dispenser, etc. mounted thereon.

In the drawings the plank 1 is a heavy plank of the type usuallyemployed by a painter or paperhanger. For interior work, such a plankhas often been supported at its ends by stepladders. There are variousobjections to these. They are-cumbersome, and they hinder the free- 6dom of a workman located at an end of the plank. They have been replacedto a certain extent by other supports which, in general, are cumbersomeand expensive.

The scaffold support of this invention has various advantages. It doesnot impede the movement of a workman at any place along the length ofthe plank. The supports are light in weight and collapsible, and arethus easily'transported from place to place, both on the job and fromone job to another.

The scaffold support is formed with two angle irons 3 and 4 or otherangle members that are positioned opposite one another and support theplank from below and 2,876,046 Patented Mar. 3, 1959 ice . 2 prevent itsmovemen t laterally.

rods the ends of which are welded to the undersides of the anglemembers.

5 Each leg is braced.

over. The bottom end 10 is pivoted in the support 11 at the base of theleg- 7, and the top end 12 is pivotally engaged in the bracket 13. Theother brace 15 is simi-, larly pivotally connected to the support. Thispermitsv 10 the angle members and legs 'to be moved toward and away fromone another so that the support can be used with planks of somewhatdifferent widths. Also, the support can be collapsed by pressing theangle members outward into the same plane, as illustrated in Fig. 6.v

There is a tightening member which connectsthe two angle members andprovides for tightening them. against the opposite edges of a plank,regardless of the width of the plank. This tightening member is composedof the short rod 20, the end 21 of which 'is bent .at a right angleandengaged in the opening in the bracket 22. Its

end is drilled and secured by the cotter pin 23. The opposite end ofthis rod is held in one end of the tube 25. The opposite end of the tubeis threaded internally at 26. 'The bolt 27 with the wing-nut head 28 isadapted-to be screwed into and out of the threaded endof the tube 25.The bolt can be engaged in the bracket 30 (Fig. 3) the side of thebracket being opened to permit insertion and removal of the bolt. I

To use the device of the invention, a scafiold is brought 30 to theplace of use with two scaffold supports collapsed and separate-fromtheplank. The supports are each folded together with the angle membersadjusted to approximately the width of the plank and then each one isseparately placed under its end of the plank while this end of the plankis supported manually. Each tightening member is swung into positionwith its free end in the bracket 30. The heads 28.are then tightened,bringing the upright portions of the respective angle members of eachsupport tight against the opposite edges of the plank.

Mounted on the outside of each of the angle members is a socket 31 inwhich a hook 31' is slidably engaged. The bottom of the hook is threadedand the wing nut 32 is provided to tighten thehook against the top ofthe plank. After the angle members 3 and 4 of the supports have beentightened against the sides of the plank the four hooks 31 are drawninto position to prevent the plank frombe'ing lifted away from thesupports.

' After these hooks have been tightened the entire assembly r may belifted from'place to place bymerely lifting the ends of the plank.

On completion of a job the hooks are loosened and turned outwardly. Thenthe nut 28 is loosened and the free end of the tightening member isdisengaged from a the bracket 30 and allowed to hang. The supports arethen removed from under the ends of the plank and are preferablycollapsed to the flat position illustrated in Fig. 6, and placed on topof the plank for movement to another location,

Although ordinarily the painter or paperhanger will need a scafiold onlyabout two feet high in order to reach the ceiling of a room of ordinaryheight, it occasionally happens that a somewhat higher scafiold isnecessary. For this purpose, the height of the scafiold support may bemade adjustable, as illustrated in Fig. 7. Here, instead of using asingle rod bent back on itself to form one of the legs, two separaterods 40 and 41 are employed and they are united at the bottom by athreaded nut member 42. The bolt 44 is threaded up into this and held inplace by the lock nut 45. The bottom of this bolt is provided with arounded head in order that it will not damage a floor or carpet or thelike on which the scaffold is erected. The height of the scaffold sup-The two legs 6 and 7 are advantageously, but not necessarily, formed ofbent The ends of the brace are bent 3 port thus equipped may be adjustedby turning the bolt and locking it in any desired position with the locknut; .A shortboltj44is' illustrated; Amuchfllongc lbolt,

orca rodfa foot or. more in length. and. threaded, at

upperand maybe employed.

This type of support may be used withashort, plank orboard to support amasking-paper. and masking-tape of the'typ'e. in which the paper, andthe tape are drawn simultaneously from separate rolls. Thisisillustratedin Fig. 8. The dispenser comprises two .identi:

cal,'-although opposite, frames 50 connectedQby the rod,

51: on whichthe roll of masking paper 52 is placed. The

masking-tape. roll 53 is separately supported and is so. locatedwidthwise that when the paper and tapeare drawn,

from their separate rolls together, about vhalflthe width of the tapeoverlaps thelpaper, and the adhesive of the bolts 56in orderto throwthe'center of gravity back,

toward the connecting rod 57 which is held down by hooks 58fiwhich passthrough sleeves 59 fastened to the outer surfac'e of the angle member 4.The hooks are tightened by wi ngnuts 60. Two or more such hooks are empl's 9 Although in the preferred form of the invention, both ends of eachbrace arepivotally connected with the rest of the sllpport othertypes ofbracing may be employed. For example, instead of using straight braces,Vt-braces may be employed with their ends rigidly attached to the topand 'bottom of each leg. The apices of these braces would beconnectedby; a, rivet orbolt or other pivotal attaching means. Theend view ofsuch a modification would be similar to the view shown in Fig. 2, exceptthat where. the. two braces cross in Fig. 2, the apexof the one vsbracewouldbe pivotally joined to the. apex of the other V-brace, and the,ends of the braces would be welded, or otherwise attached to thescaffold support. Sucha scafiold support'could notbe flattened out, asis the preferred form of scaffold support in Fig. '6, but the two bracescould be pivoted about the point where they are join d, 89 that theangle members of such a support could bebrought against the sides ofaplank, and held inplace by a tightening member such as described.

.TI'he' Ivat ious elements shown may be replaced by eguiyalent's; The.invention is defined in the 1claims which follow. i i i What I claim is:

1. A scaffold support which includes two parallel angle members whichface one another and are adapted to re ceive and support the oppositeedges of a plank, a leg support for each angle member, a brace extendingfrom a pivotal connection near.,th e,ba se,of each leg to a pivotalconnection near the union of the top of the opposite leg and its anglemember, and contractible meansof adjustable length theoppositeends ofwhich are attached to the angle members for maintaining the anglemembers against the edges of the plank.

2. A scaffold support which includes two parallel angle members whichface one another and are adapted to receive and support the oppositeedges of a plank, contractible means the opposite ends of which areattached to the angle members for maintaining the angle members againstthe opposite edges of the plank when the scaffold support ,is in use,aqleg rigidly attached. to each angle member, and a braceforeachleg one.end of which is pivotally attachedtothe leg andtheother end of which is.pivotally' attached to thesupportf near the union of the other leg andits angle member, each brace being longer thanthe vertical height of itslegwhereby the scaffold support may be flattened into one plane with theangle members located at the outer ends thereof.

3. A seaflold support which includes two parallelangle memberswhich faceone another and are adapted toreceive and support the opposite edges, ofa plank, each anglemember having attached thereto a leg formed of a rodsharply bent into two substantially straight portions, one portionjofwhich extends substantiallyperpendicularly downwardly. from near one endof the angle member and the other portion of which; angles back to theangle member at an. angle less. than 90 degrees, said portionswhiclrarev not perpendicular to theanglemember being substantiallyparallel when the angle members are supporting a plank;andcontractiblemeans of; adjustable length theopposite ends. of whichare attached to the angle members for maintaining theanglemembersagainst th d s. ft p ank- References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES. PATENTS 1,138,838 Bonenberger May 11, 1915 1,196,655Buflington Aug. 29, 1916 1,359,452 Walker Nov. ,l6, 1920 2,077,541Wieslander Apr. 20, 1937 2,108,198 Egger 'Feb. 15, 1938 2,198,956Thielepape Apr. 30, 1940 2,556,611 Borgm an June 12, 1951 2,631,655Jannello Maif. 17,1953

